Editor, Times-Union: Judging from the ad taken out in the Personals section in the Oct.11 Times-Union, the editorial staff of this paper has chosen to censor Tom Metzger. Mr. Metzger made a plea for a newspaper to publish his letters. Not being privy to the material that the Times-Union staff found objectionable. I can only surmise that it's content was less than desirable. However, I cannot fathom that Mr. Metzger's words could be any more insidious, paranoid, or vapid than 90 percent of what I read on these pages, more vile than the incendiary Ann Coulter, nor more tasteless than the daily political cartoon. While I abhor Mr. Metzger's affiliation with the Ku Klux KIan and do not agree with everything he says. he has a right to express his opinions and to be included in the political discourse. Mr. Metzger has a valid point when he criticizes both parties of being two sides of the same coin. While pundits and politicians alike bemoan the gridlock and partisanship in Washington, I find that they have no trouble agreeing on a great many things. Both parties agree to fight and fund unnecessary wars and to privatize these wars without any oversight of the war profiteers. Both parties voted for the Constitution-riddling Patriot Act. Both parties vote to fund that great money pit known as Homeland Security. Both parties march in lockstep to protect Wall Street banksters and their overseas tax havens. Both parties can agree on job killing free trade deals. Most of all both parties protect at all costs their own generous Congressional pay, healthcare, pensions, bottomless expense accounts and last but not least their revolving door into that very lucrative career known as lobbying. The Democratic Party that I have always supported and admired has been taken over by war mongering, out sourcing, off shoring, kow-towing Bluedog, Republican-lite types, none of whom I can support. FDR must be spinning in his grave. The Times-Union does a great disservice to it's readers by censoring Mr. Metzger. Those who don't wish to read his letters are free to skip over them - something I often do. Janet Collins Etna Green, via email
